Port of Oakland Harbor Tour

Wow. It's an amazing experience. And it's free. You'll enjoy the most amazing views of the city skyline and the Bay Bridge. I highly recommend it.

https://www.portofoakland.com/harbor-tours/    I was not able to reserve tickets for 4 people.  So we gambled for stand-by, got there half hour prior to loading and was #40 on wait list.  We were the last people allowed to board!  I would recommend to come one hour prior, put name on list then go across the lawn to relax at the wine and cheese tasting place.  The tour information about shipping was very interesting; the sights, sounds, smells and atmosphere were delightfully dream like, I felt as if I was on vacation.  And it was all free! I wonder where the money comes from.  Parked in garage, 101 Washington Street, got discount validation from a Jack London Square restaurant.  Make sure to visit nearby Jack London' gold rush cabin and statue of White Fang.

What a fantastic tour! And it's FREE! The tour is on a boat which is really nice. I originally thought it would be a walking tour, so we were pleasantly surprised to find out we were going to be gliding down the estuary. We learned a lot about the Port of Oakland and the boat took us all the way down to the estuary and outside just a bit by the bay bridge. The weather was PERFECT! It had been raining all day and was just starting to clear. What views!It was 90 minutes and worth every free penny! I'd do it again.

Just went on a tour of the Oakland Harbor with this establishment. It was a free tour night and it was exceptional. The only negative thing is having to drive to Oakland through all of that traffic from San Jose and I sympathize that there are people who do that everyday of the week.Now back to the tour it lasted about 90 minutes and was run very professionally. The narrator describe the types of ships that came into the harbor and the sizes of them reaching up to 1,200 feet long and containing up to 18000 containers with hull depths over 40 feet. They were all very impressive figures and along with them a lot of history was provided for this area. On our cruise ship we were blessed to have a harbor pilot who was able to provide additional insights on his work and the kinds of challenges he encounters.I do highly recommend taking one of their tours.

There are FREE tours of the Oakland Harbor that happen in the summer months. http://www.oaklandmagazine.com/East-Bay-Events/index.php/name/Port-of-Oakland-Free-Harbor-Tours-2016/event/14828/Even though they are not well publicized they fill up quickly. The reservation process is a little tricky. The tours are only on two Friday nights a month. You go to their website usually on the 1st Monday of the month (next tours are in September and October) at 7 PM and sign up for a specific date. You can reserve a spot or up to 4 people.Here is the link for SEPTEMBERhttp://www.portofoakland.com/event/port-oakland-free-harbor-tours-2016-5/Here is the link for OCTOBERhttp://www.portofoakland.com/event/port-oakland-free-harbor-tours-2016-6/ When you go to the websites you scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the date (in blue) that you'd like to reserve. Once you have your reservations you'll be able to print them.WHEW !!!!!Enough of the logistics and on to the review!Things have changed since earlier harbor tours, Instead of a worn out ferry we got to ride on a beautiful vessel, the "Merlot Commodore." The main desk has two small outdoor decks and a large plush indoor area with linen topped tables and chairs. They sell refreshments but I didn't check it out. They have free cups of iced water,The two bathrooms on this level were very clean, roomy and upscales. I can't recall having been on any ferry or sailing vessel with such nice "heads."We sat in the back outside deck which was a long bench for 8-10 people. The problem which we didn't realize till later was that the speakers weren't working so we missed some of the narration given by the Community Relations Manager. Once we found our way inside we heard a lot of information about the cranes, containers, ships, harbor, the harbor plan. The passengers had a lot of great questions.We saw some cranes in action picking up containers. Mr Rinky though there was a big suction cup involved when actually the end of the crane was a big "claw" that picked up the huge containers.I was surprised to learn that those huge ships with the humongous containers have just a 24 hour turn around time to be unloaded and on their way back to their home ports.Some of this may seem kind of dull and boring for those of you into more lively things but we thoroughly enjoyed it.We were lucky to have a perfect night--clear with lovely views of SF and Oakland at sunset.Plus we got to go under the Bay Bridge several times.Lovely cruise, friendly staff, awesome narrator, beautiful night all for FREE.What more could one ask for? Well we also got free drawstring Port of Oakland bags with straps for wearing on your back. Yay!

There is always something new to experience in one's own backyard. Having been born and raised in the Bay Area, it felt like "been there, done that" for a lot of things around the Bay. Boy was I wrong. The Oakland Harbor Tour was not only fun, but it was educational as well for my family too. It is a rare opportunity to view the growing sea trading zone known as the Port of Oakland from the point of view only accessible from the Oakland / Alameda Estuary. During our trip, we were able to witness an 180° turn about of a 5000+ container capacity freighter in the estuary! How amazing is that!The crew is incredibly professional, timely, as well as knowledgeable about the Port if Oakland as well as the surrounding areas shouldering the San Francisco Bay. The views were breathtaking and worth the cost of admission. Tours are limited during the season, so registering early is key.Recommended for both native and visitors alike.

Has this happened to you?I followed directions to go online the first monday of the month at 7pm to get tickets for that month. On Oct 3, 2016 at 7pm 2 of my friends I individually clicked on the tour for Oct 14 and the next screen that came up said the tour was unavailable!!!! Ttried for 10 minutes and always unavailable. The next morning at 8 am I tried again and the screen indicated no more tickets left. I contacted the Port of Oakland asking if there was a glitch in their reservation process. I was told that there wasn't. I disagree.

Free tours of the Port from a Blue and Gold ship are given twice a month, except in the late fall and winter. Signing up is a bit tricky. Do a Google search for "Port Oakland tours" and you'll get the latest on signing up on line. My first few attempts to sign up on line were unsuccessful. They were sold out both times. I'm not sure why since I went on line right when they said sign ups were open.You'll have to park at the garage structure across from the Jack London movie theater because street parking is impossible and possibly dangerous, and you'll be on the water for 90 minutes.You can get in a line that the Port employees set up at 10 Water Street on the other side of the Waterfront Hotel, but there's room for everyone and plenty of seating on the boat. Bring your ticket. Frankly, you can slip into line after they check for tickets and people begin boarding at 5:30p. Dress warmly. Don't worry about a seat because you'll want to go somewhere on the boat where you can hear the narration from the on-board speakers. You can buy snacks and drinks on board. You'll cruise along the port across from Alameda, skirt around the port toward the Bay Bridge, and then cruise under the bridge near Yerba Buena Island. You get a good look at gigantic container ships and containerization, which has led to globalization and allows us to buy something from China for a buck on eBay. Once you get off the boat at 7p, then you can walk to one of the many Jack London restaurants for dinner.It's interesting and not the sort of thing you do every day. And it's free and certainly worth the price of admission. .

An awesome tour for free. Heck I'd even pay several bucks for it. I passed by the port daily, never giving the going ons much thought, but when I saw that the Port offered free tours I was suddenly curious. Who knew there was so much history, money and technology to importing/exporting. As for the boat, it's an older Blue and Gold fleet with a crackly PA system, I suggest sitting on the bottom deck so you can hear. If you fail to secure a ticket online just show up at 6:15pm and get on the standby list, you're pretty much insured a seat as capacity is 250. Note that unlike the commuter ferries alcohol is not offered but coffee, tea etc. is. Great cheap date as well. FYI meet at the ferry terminal or to be exact 10 Clay street.

Did you know that the Port of Oakland gives FREE harbor tours once a month, May-Sept?? Indeed, it's true. They haul out one of the old ferry's that is really run down and give a free narrated tour. So come...bring your children, and your elders...and your sack lunch (because the pretzels must be left over from the last time they used the ship in the 90s). The narration is mostly a snore, read in a flat tone, complete with mispronunciations and outdated terms. BUT...who really cares? It's a free harbor boat tour. Go out on the deck, let the wind blow through your hair, see those giant cranes up close, learn about waterfront parks you never knew were there, and experience the boats out on the water up close. The kids are gonna love it. Afterwards get your snack on at Scott's and/or Ben & Jerry's.